What Are The Top 14 Fish Sources And Vegetarian Foods Rich In Omega 3 Fatty Acids?

Fats and healthy? Yes! There are unhealthy fats like trans and saturated fats and there are healthy fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are a kind of polyunsaturated fats that our body cannot synthesize on its own. You don’t need supplements either. Here are 14 amazing foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids to enhance your overall health!

The ideal intake of omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy adult is 500 mg in a day and the limit of intake for people with heart diseases is 800-1000 mg per day

Foods Rich In Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Here are 14 incredible foods high in omega 3 fatty acids to be included in your daily diet to make your living much better.

Fish Sources

1. Cod Liver Oil

One tablespoon of fish oil which is around 14 grams contains 2664 mg of cod liver oil which helps you meet 532% of your daily omega 3 requirement.

It might sound bizarre but cod liver oil is something that is extracted from the tissues of Atlantic cod. Apart from being the best source of omega-3 fatty acids, it is the best source of two other important nutrients – Vitamin D and Vitamin A.

It is not recommended to take more than half a tablespoon of cod liver(4) oil per day since there are excess quantities of vitamin A, Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil!

Taking just one tablespoon exceeds more than 100% of your omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and Vitamin A requirement.

2. Salmon

One ounce of Salmon (which is around 28 grams) gives you 633 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids(5) which helps you meet 126% of your daily omega 3 requirement.

Apart from Omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is also a good source of proteins, Vitamin B12, selenium and Niacin. Selenium is essential for preventing cancer, improving thyroid functioning and strengthening your bones.

In fact, research has proved that consuming salmon at least two times a week could increase the levels of selenium among a group of people! (6)

Salmon is a great source of two different types of omega-3 fatty acids – DHA and EPA which can reduce your blood pressure levels, decrease the chances of cancer and also reduce the inflammation apart from helping you maintain healthy arteries.

4. Mackerels

Mackerels are delicious to taste and they do not require much time to prepare. Mackerels are also a great source of other important nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, and Niacin.

Experiments and studies conducted on the consumption of mackerels and their effect on health proved that there was a decrease in blood pressure due to the consumption of Mackerels.

Furthermore, mackerels also increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease the amounts of bad cholesterol (LDL), thereby stabilizing your over cholesterol levels. (11)

Mackerels prevent some common skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis and also help in clearing age-related spots and wrinkles. They improve your hair growth, improve bone strength and also boost your immunity.

5. Herrings

The presence of Omega-3 fatty acids in Herrings prevents the risk of metabolic syndrome which in the long run can make you susceptible to heart diseases. (13)

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions like high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, the presence of excess cholesterol and triglycerides, increase in the body fat which can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases on the overall!

Apart from being one of the best omega 3 fatty acids foods, herrings are known to boost the immune system, keep you energized, decrease the risk of Alzheimer disease, prevent the risk of cancer and improve your nervous system.

6. Why Are Caviars The Best Source Of Omega 3?

One tablespoon of Caviars (which is around 16 grams) gives you 1086 mg(14) of omega-3 fatty acids which fulfills 217% of your daily omega 3 requirement.

Caviar(15) or Roe is a mass of eggs that are present in the ovary of a female fish and surprisingly, these are edible. They are used as a spread or used for garnishing purposes when they ripe.

Caviar is also an excellent source of vitamin B12(16) which is essential for the proper synthesis of DNA and production of energy.

The proper intake of Omega-3 fatty acids enhances your heart health and boosts your brain health. The healthy fats are also known to reduce the risk of diabetes(17) because they decrease insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the cells fail to respond to the activity of the insulin hormone which eventually results in the increase of blood sugar levels!

7. Halibut

Halibut is a kind of Atlantic fat fish which is considered as the largest one among the fatty fish types. Though halibut contains omega-3 fatty acids in little amounts, pregnant women may have to prefer other sources of omega 3 fatty acids since Halibut gathers mercury inside its body.

It is more likely for larger fish to gather more amounts of mercury from the contaminated water into their bodies.

You can still consume Halibut in moderate amounts to enjoy some best benefits like a gradual decrease in the inflammation, a healthy heart and a high-quality protein intake.

Fitness enthusiasts and those who are looking forward to building good muscle strength are advised to include tuna into their diet since Tuna is low in calories, retains muscle strength, keeps you full for long periods and is low in fat.

9. Trout

According to the natural resources defence council, trout is one among those healthy fish that is low in mercury which makes it one of the best foods high in omega 3 fatty acids to be included into your diet.

13. Chia Seeds

Apart from omega 3 fatty acids, chia seeds are highly rich in antioxidants, omega-6 fatty acids, dietary fibre which is why they are used to prevent various diseases like obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and hypertension. (27)

Chia seeds can fight heart diseases, control diabetes, help in easy digestion, prevents constipation and also assist in weight loss.

ALA is the special type of fatty acid present in walnuts which prevents age-related disorders like diabetes, kidney problems, multiple sclerosis and Chron’s disease and also prevents certain chronic skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema.

Written By

Sai Sudha Chintapalli is a certified health blogger, who has an experience of above 2 years in the field of writing with an authorized certificate in the area of Introduction to food and health from Stanford University.
She has a special interest in life sciences, human psychology and fitness which drove her to make blogging turn passion to profession. She has conducted a survey on Malnutrition in children in a slum area at Hyderabad and studied about the adulteration in Food items as the part of her projects while pursuing her bachelor's degree in Life Sciences.
Being an introvert, writer, empath and a nature lover, she loves Yoga and believes it to be one of the best pathways to self discovery!